Down Club Hurling & Football

Started by Lecale2, November 10, 2006, 12:06:55 AM

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Sandstorm

Best of luck to Kilcoo this evening and Liatroim next week.

Conks

A lot of chat about the Red High playing B Football. Given how successful they are at Hurling with a large intake from the Ards, that might explain why they are not at MacRory due a large number of boys each year concentrating on Hurling.
With regards the propsed amalgamation, more numbers in this case will not translate to better teams as their traditional feeder clubs outside of the Downpatrick postcode will have to sit an entrance exam to the new school. This could see these students not get in and even if they pass, still denied a place due to numbers. The result being they go to other schools leaving the new school teams reliant on just 4-5 local clubs around Downpatrick. This will probably mean dropping down the grades in Ulster Schools.
Not much chat about St Malachy's with their large intake and rich feeder clubs dropping down to C grade Markey Cup this season or indeed Kilkeel and Warrenpoint playing at C grades.

Mourne Red

Quote from: Conks on November 26, 2022, 03:58:12 PM
A lot of chat about the Red High playing B Football. Given how successful they are at Hurling with a large intake from the Ards, that might explain why they are not at MacRory due a large number of boys each year concentrating on Hurling.
With regards the propsed amalgamation, more numbers in this case will not translate to better teams as their traditional feeder clubs outside of the Downpatrick postcode will have to sit an entrance exam to the new school. This could see these students not get in and even if they pass, still denied a place due to numbers. The result being they go to other schools leaving the new school teams reliant on just 4-5 local clubs around Downpatrick. This will probably mean dropping down the grades in Ulster Schools.
Not much chat about St Malachy's with their large intake and rich feeder clubs dropping down to C grade Markey Cup this season or indeed Kilkeel and Warrenpoint playing at C grades.

You've not been around the board long plenty of chat about St Mals and St Marks schools.. As a past pupil of St Mals it's sad to see the school seems to have given up on Football/Hurling. Loss of PJ Magee and Paul Duffin at the same time was massive and nowhere close to being replaced near 10 years on

Smurfy123

What is going on with St Colmans College?

The favourites for the McC cup and beat twice

Only for a shambolic rule that all teams qualify they were gone

Play matches pre Christmas but nobody gets knocked out
A once great school under Morgan are being run by a clown

Targetman

Kilcoo strolling to the final,Enniskillen very poor and a poor reflection of Fermanagh club football.

charlieTully

Quote from: Targetman on November 26, 2022, 06:46:12 PM
Kilcoo strolling to the final,Enniskillen very poor and a poor reflection of Fermanagh club football.

The standard in down is obviously a lot higher than our county team reflects.

stiff breeze

Or a more likely explanation is they treat down as a warm up to the real thing .

charlieTully

Quote from: stiff breeze on November 26, 2022, 07:46:41 PM
Or a more likely explanation is they treat down as a warm up to the real thing .

They were a penalty kick away from being knocked out. Risky strategy.

stiff breeze

Risky for sure , but it's either go full on for Down and risk burnout for all Ireland series or risk going steady through Down and peak for an all Ireland series . With numerous Down titles in the bag I'd imagine the second risk is probably worth it in their mind . Just how it looks to me . No coincidence they just about slip through Down year on year then look a different team in ulster

thewobbler

Risk burn out my arse.

There's a couple of weeks between games.

You're overthinking things.

stiff breeze

Burnout probably the wrong phrase . Peaking at the right time of year is more what I meant . Their peaking window time is different than other Down clubs ,unfortunately for the rest  they have enough depth to not peak and still win Down

thewobbler

Quote from: stiff breeze on November 26, 2022, 08:19:53 PM
Burnout probably the wrong phrase . Peaking at the right time of year is more what I meant . Their peaking window time is different than other Down clubs ,unfortunately for the rest  they have enough depth to not peak and still win Down

Again. Not trying to be mean here. But you're just throwing out a cliche. Teams that are serial winners in all sports are lauded for their ability to peak at the right time.

But it's nonsense. They are aerial winners because they're better than their opponents.

stiff breeze

If that was true then every best team or player in every team or individual sport would win all the time. They don't because of other factors including physically and mentally peaking at the right time . It's not cliche it's just modern sports science . Don't worry about being mean , it's only my opinion so I'm not offended if you don't agree   :D

stiff breeze

Quote from: Duine Inteacht Eile on November 26, 2022, 09:11:04 PM
Alternatively, it could be that Down have a couple of decent club teams with a lot of experience playing against Kilcoo and are therefore further down the line of working out how to play against them than random teams across Ulster who rarely play them.

Also worth noting that club football rarely gives any indication of the strength of the county team.

This could be true also

redandblackareback

Kilcoo look like All Ireland champions and I think they will do back to back - who will actually stop them?

On the school debate, rather than talk about St Marks or St Malachy's let's look at a town close to my heart, Downpatrick, one of the largest towns in our county and yet we have two all boys schools who are certainly underachievers. Red High have been a disgrace of a school in recent years, and since Brady and Adams have left De La Salle they are another school who should be ashamed of their efforts in GAA. It's very concerning the downward spiral of our schools in general. Hopefully the addition of new staff in the Red High can give them the kick start needed